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Sharks GM will listen to offers for ninth pick in draft

by
Eric Gilmore
/ NHL.com

SAN JOSE -- San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is ready to listen to any and all offers for the ninth pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, especially once the draft gets underway on June 26 in Sunrise, Fla.

The Sharks have gone eight straight years without selecting a player in the top 10, but they are scheduled to pick ninth this year after finishing 22nd in the overall standings in 2014-15.

However, after shedding older players and stockpiling draft picks during the past two seasons, Wilson said Friday he is leaving open the possibility of a trade.

"When you get to that point and sit on the draft floor, sometimes things get offered out of left field," he said. "Sometimes people move up a spot, move down a spot. Our history speaks to we've done all those things. You listen in this business.

"When opportunities come; that's how we got Brent Burns [in 2011]. The draft was in Minnesota. They didn't have a first-round pick. ... We have players that people like and people call and that's great. We have draft picks that people like and we have a lot of picks going forward that people like. You want the phones ringing and people calling you and offering things. That's the position we're in. Get on the draft floor and you never know."

The Sharks have eight picks, including two in the top 39. Wilson said he expects to add at least one more selection before the draft begins next Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports). Rounds 2-7 are Saturday (10 a.m. ET: NHLN-US, SN1, TVA Sports).

Wilson has said the Sharks need to add more pieces and want to bounce back strongly after failing to make the playoffs this season, ending their 10-year streak of postseason appearances. San Jose has plenty of salary cap space as well as lots of trade ammunition in terms of players and draft picks.

Is a blockbuster trade possible? Wilson didn't rule out the idea.

"Historically we've made some really big deals," Wilson said. "When you go back to, whether it be the [Joe] Thornton deal or the Burns deal or the [Dan] Boyle deal. You explore everything. Somebody pointed out to me I've made now officially a trade with every other team in the League. We've made, I don't know, 100 deals? I think we're up around 100 trades. You always explore.

"We're putting this team in a position to bounce back and be very competitive come September. Will we explore everything? Yeah, we will. I can't talk about other teams' players. You can look at every team, you can look at every situation, you can look at the UFA market; the names are the names. You know who potentially are going to be available. Historically most of the guys are under contract, key positions, quality players. [The] UFA market is rarely a strong opportunity, but it doesn't mean you don't look at it and dabble in it. You can only dabble in it if you have cap space, which we have."